Conference 7.286::space

47.0. "Space Shuttle DISCOVERY Mission" by PYRITE::WEAVER () Thu Apr 18 1985 02:37

Posted: Fri Apr 12 18:20:40 1985

An hour late, and with 55 seconds to spare in its launch
window, Discovery blasted off today on its five day mission.
Launch was delayed twice, first by a cargo ship that had
to be cleared from the SRB impact zone downrange of KSC,
and then by bad weather.  Nine minutes after the launch,
NASA reported that the shuttle had successfully attained
orbit.  Shortly thereafter, its crew deploted a satellite
for Telesat of Canada.  Tomorrow morning, a Navy satellite
is to be deployed.

The space shuttle Atlantis was forced to wait out the night
in Texas due to the same bad weather that delayed Discovery.
NASA had hoped to have the newest shuttle arrive at KSC
this morning.

The Challenger is in the VAB, and it will be moved to pad
39A Monday.

Four years ago today, Columbia lifted off on the beginning
of STS-1.

Subject: Satellite Deployed, Failed
Posted: Sat Apr 13 16:59:15 1985

The Discovery crew today deployed the second of two
satellites, this one for Leasat, which will lease
the satellite to the Navy.  However, the antenna
of the satellite failed to deploy, its spin engines
failed to fire, and its PAM did not ignite.  All
that leads NASA to believe that a plunger switch
that should have been activated upon deployment 
from the cargo bay in fact was not.  The switch
activates the the satellite's power, which then
turns on the sequencer to control the events.

NASA is considering a few options:

1) Flying up to a half mile from the satellite (the
	Discovery is now keeping 40 miles away with
	belly towards the satellite) to see whether
	or not the switch is activated.

2) If the switch is not activated, an astronaut could
	make an EVA and stand on the end of the RMS,
	which would then carry him/her to the satellite.
	He/she would then turn on the switch, and the
	shuttle would rocket away to clear the area
	before the PAM ignites.

3) NASA could leave the satellite in its current orbit
	(~261 miles) until a rescue mission can be
	planned.  The Discovery has no equipment currently on
	board to facilitate the retrieval of the
	satellite.

A decision is expected Sunday.

Subject: Swat Failure
Posted: Thu Apr 18 11:48:26 1985

The crew of the Discovery succeeded in hitting the
suspect lever on a stranded satellite yesterday,
but that did not prompt the satellite's on board
systems to start.  Thus, the Discovery backed away,
leaving the satellit in a useeless 200-mile orbit.
NASA said that they will consider a rescue mission
in the future, but that it would be extremely
risky, as the sateellite is full of hydrazine fuel
and primed for ignition.

	I was under the impression that all of the satellites carried
by the shuttle used solid propellant motors to move from low earth
orbit to geosynchronous orbit. Am I wrong, or is the previous note
about the hydrazine incorrect? This is not to say that an armed,
unfired solid propellant motor is particularly safe..... 

[Stolen from TW^3, Sunday night on ABC?]

	A major breakthru of the latest Discovery mission: It was found 
that public servants perform no different in earth orbit than they do in 
Washington, D.C. as Senator Garn was observed to drift about aimlessly, 
with no apparent purpose. Senator Garn may also qualify for a $.13 per
mile travel allowance. 

:-)

Re: .2

It was indeed carrying hydrazine fuel.

							-Dave

Subject: Shuttle Landing
Posted: Sat Apr 20 21:14:09 1985	<== Better source of information
					    is needed, the delays are too
					    long from the USENET  -Dave

The Discovery landed today, one orbit late, and suffered
a blown right outboard tire and damage to a wing.  The
tire blew shortly after touchdown, but in no way jeopardized
the landing; in fact, the shuttle maintained the center
line the entire time.  Engineers also found that two tiles
were missing from a wing, and a hole had been burnt into
the wing structure where it was unguarded.  NASA has yet
to assess the damage.